Paragraphs

Paragraphs are used to organise a piece of writing. It is important to structure a piece of writing, such as an essay, article or letter into paragraphs. This will break the text up into separate points which will make it easier to read.

You should show that you have started a new paragraph by indenting the first line or leaving a line between paragraphs.

All the sentences in a paragraph should be related to one another. A new point of discussion, a new topic, a change in time, a change in setting all require a new paragraph.

Using a topic sentence can be an effective way to start a paragraph. A topic sentence is a statement that introduces the main idea in the paragraph. The rest of the paragraph needs to expand or give evidence to back up the topic sentence.

The health benefits of regular exercise cannot be ignored

This bold statement is a topic sentence. The rest of the paragraph

will discuss the health benefits that it refers to.

Linking words or phrases can be used to connect paragraphs to make a piece of writing cohesive so that ideas are linked together in a flowing way.